


The New Alpha

by Dgray3994



Series: The New Alpha [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Bonding, Deputy Stiles, F/M, Mates, Multi, New Alpha, Pack Dynamics, Soulmates, a new threat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:21:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29820717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dgray3994/pseuds/Dgray3994
Summary: Derek's pretty secretive about his time in New York but when Avery Thurston shows up at the old Hale property hurt and a new beta at her side, he can't just forget who she is to him anymore.Stiles has never been prepared for change, even though his life in Beacon Hills is constantly on the edge of doing just that, so when a new alpha is rushed into Deaton's office he's REALLY not sure what to do with all of it except hang on and pray for a swift end.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Original Female Character(s), Liam Dunbar & Original Male Character(s), Stiles Stilinski/Original Female Character(s), Theo Raeken/Original Male Character(s)
Series: The New Alpha [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2192157
Comments: 8
Kudos: 12
Collections: Teen Wolf





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little thing to pass the time.  
> Not beta-ed, all errors are my own.

**Chapter One**

The pain was unimaginable, blinding and seemingly never ending. It came with the heat of the bullets slicing through skin and muscle, along with the feeling of ripping organs to shreds, and that was when they first entered. 

Next came the urge to breathe but the inability to do so as they tore holes through everything. It wasn’t that they hit her lungs--thankfully they missed those altogether--but the fact that she had been hit at all.

Moving was excruciating, one foot in front of the other, relying on the shoulders and strength of the man beside her, the one who wrapped her arm around himself in order to keep her upright. She wasn’t used to that, though he made her stronger in every way. She had always been the one to protect him, the dominant one, the alpha, but here he was keeping her from face planting as they made their way through the woods towards the truck parked along the road.

It took longer than she hoped, and shorter than she remembered, before he helped place her in the passenger’s seat of the Chevy. She curled up into the seat. He reclined it the best he could for her and snatched the blanket off the backseat. It was definitely a good idea to get the crew cab, but there was no way she was getting in the back of it. She had to stay awake, and lying down was just going to put her out.

Lucas slipped in behind the wheel, cranking the heat on the chilly night as he looked her over before firing it up. He was younger than her by a couple years, but while he wasn’t her brother... at least not in the  _ human _ definition of it, he wasn’t the lover everyone thought he was either.

He scanned her over, as if he were waiting for something miraculous to happen, but Avery could only concentrate on keeping her eyes open. He was giving her time to heal, time she was running out of, because it wasn't as if she didn’t try, it was that she couldn’t. She saw the moment he realized she was in true mortal danger. His eyes, those deep hazel ones, turned bright beta gold and he growled low in his throat. 

“What do I do?” The emotions were thick in his tone, although he wasn’t panicking yet, and she blinked as he reached for her, slipped his hand under the blanket to touch her chilling skin. “Avery, what do I do?”

“North,” was all she could whisper. Everything was too tight, too heated, but she managed to match those gold eyes with red ones of her own, and slowly his faded, looking once again at her with the pleading hazel of his human eyes. “To Bea… to Beacon Hills.”

“What the hell is in Beacon Hills?” He was already moving, putting the truck in drive and flooring the gas. There was no way to know where the hunters were and no sense waiting around to find out. The truck kicked up gravel as it spun away from the thick wooded area they had called home for the past six months, leaving the cabin behind. “Avery?” 

His voice penetrated the growing darkness around her, shaking her back to reality. She shivered as she dragged in air, swallowed around the lump in her throat, knowing what was going on within her bloodstream. 

She was being poisoned.

Wolfsbane, also known as Monkshood, was toxic to most humans. The flowers themselves were the cause of aconite poisoning, but to them, to what they were, it would cause death in a matter of hours if not treated, depending on the method used to introduce it into the bloodstream. 

Bullets were a fairly adequate means of administration. 

“Derek,” Avery sighed, remembering his face, the brightness of his green eyes, the contrasting color of dark hair that was soft to the touch, she could even remember his scent. “Derek Hale.”

Lucas chanced taking his eyes off the winding road for just a second to look at her. She had grown deathly pale, her skin under her eyes was already darkening from the poison, and with determination, he stepped on the gas, turning sharply onto the highway, headed straight for the sign for 115, and Beacon Hills.

~~~~~

Two hours and eleven minutes. 

That’s how long it took Lucas to get into the small California town going nearly a steady seventy-five, sometimes pushing it to close to ninety, but the truck protested. It seemed like way too long, with the way that Avery was wilting in the seat beside him. If it wasn’t for the beat of her heart--that he could hear as if his ear were pressed against her chest--he would have worried she wasn’t going to make it, but she fought to control it, to keep the pain down herself. 

She hadn’t allowed him to take anything from her, pain or consciousness, he knew she wouldn’t. She was the alpha after all, and she needed to protect him even if it was from herself. Avery had mumbled direction in her semi-conscious state, which made Lucas wonder just how well she knew this other man.

Apparently, it wasn’t well enough.

When he pulled up to the precise location she had given him, he slammed on the brakes. There was nothing there. No house, no driveway, no Derek Hale. There was just an empty lot. He slipped out of the truck, leaving it running for the warmth since she had started shivering not more than thirty minutes before and it had only grown more violent, and stepped into the middle of the space.

Lucas’s anger surfaced, something he wasn’t proud of and spent a lot of time learning to control. It was only after he had turned - the product of a random rabid alpha -- and Avery’s intervention, that the need to vent his violence had slowly dissipated. But now, with her like this, he couldn’t hold back.

His claws extended, his teeth dropped and grew, and his eyes blazed a bright gold. He took his aggressions out on the nearest tree, ripping and shredding at the bark, like he would have loved to do those hunters. And the more it festered, the more he needed to let out the one thing he knew he must. 

A call.

A call that might lead Derek to him instead, so he leaned back his head, closed his eyes and howled up at the darkening sky, at the nearly full moon. He called out a long mournful sound that echoed through the trees and stretched across the valley.

In the truck, Avery’s eyes opened wide, blazing red and aware, and she joined in on the call, though weak and broken until her voice faded into nothing and she fell into the darkness she had held off for so long.

**Derek’s Loft**

It started out like a vibration in the air, distracting him from the map on the table in front of him, and slowly Derek looked up. His green eyes searched the loft, dark brows furrowed as he concentrated on finding anything out of the ordinary, but there was nothing. It wasn’t until the sound hit him that he knew what it was.

The howl was low, but in a direction he recognized and he turned quickly, heading towards the balcony door. Throwing it open like the old steel thing weighed nothing, Derek stepped out into the fading sunlight. He turned his head just a bit in the direction of his old homestead and concentrated, those bright eyes slowly closing as he listened to the sound of the howl.

Someone was in pain, needed help. Someone was dying.

It wasn’t until the second voice came into play that his heart skipped, that panic built up in his stance and he found himself staring off into the woods of the Beacon Hills Preserve.

“Avery,” was the only thing he whispered before he was gone, disappearing back into the loft and out the front door. 

His phone rang as he hit the garage, five stories down, and slipped into the waiting Camaro. Fumbling as he started it up, Derek finally got his cell out of his pocket, completely forgetting that it was synced to the Bluetooth in the car. Something that came to light when he hit the accept and it went right to the speakers.

_ “Derek!”  _

Of course, it had to be Scott McCall, the twenty-something alpha of the only known pack of misfits Derek had ever come upon--consisting of only one blood bonded beta--more adopted strays than anything and not all werewolves.

“I know who it is,” he belted out without meaning to, having honestly not wanted to give away the connection but this was Scott, and while he could lie to him all day, that howl was nothing less than an emergency signal.

_ “What do you mean  _ you _ know?”  _ And that was Stiles Stilinski, the one human pack member that could get on his last nerves. He knew of Mason, the bitten beta’s -- Liam -- best friend, but he tended to stay away from the younger members of the pack. Liam was Scott’s responsibility after all. Stiles was ever the spastic human with the hidden IQ that practically made him a genius even when his ADHD diagnosis had him flying off the walls, but at that moment - his sarcastic voice practically yelling at him - seemed to strangely calm Derek’s body and mind. _ “Derek, now would be a great time to talk to us?” _

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” With that, a sour look on his face, and a grumble in his voice, he swung around and headed out to the old Hale property. 

_ “There he is,” _ Stiles was grinning, he could hear it on the line.  _ “And yeah, we’re still at the library looking up stuff. So, wanna tell us how you know who it is?” _

“The howl.”

_ “We got that,” _ Scott’s ever present voice had Derek grinding his teeth but he understood the caution all too well. There were not one but two strange werewolves on his territory and it bothered him. 

“I know the second voice.” Derek specified, though he wasn’t sure if they would get the hint. “The first one was too young to be Avery.”

_ “Avery? Avery who?”  _ Stiles again, not that he expected them to go back to doing whatever it was they were doing but he didn’t need the questions.  _ “Come on, Scrappy, tell us what you know.” _

“Avery’s... an old family friend, one that I,” Derek paused, took a breath and shook his head. “I knew in New York.”

_ “She’s here? Now? Why come all the way across the county?”  _ The annoying huff from the alpha on the line only had Derek’s skin bristling.

“I don’t know, Scott, but I’m definitely going to find out, as soon as I figure out what the hell is wrong with her.” Derek yanked the wheel to the right, moving down the old dirt drive towards where his family home used to be. 

There, in the dark, was a pick-up, and sitting in the grass illuminated by the headlights was a young man. He was crouched over a woman, her head in his lap as he cried, that was until the lights of the car hit him and he turned to Derek with bright eyes and fangs. But it was the black blood leaking from a familiar face that sent the panic through him. 

“Scott, call Deaton! Call Deaton now!”

_ “Derek…”  _ was the last thing he heard before he shot out of the car and made his way towards the boy. 

He looked no older than Liam, maybe eighteen at the most, and Derek approached cautiously, hands up and human. The beta’s eyes didn’t shift back, he didn’t retract his claws, and his lips were peeled back to show his fangs.

“I heard your howl,” he whispered as he crouched down to eye-level with the boy, making sure to keep his distance and not move in on the wolf’s alpha, and she was an alpha, he could feel it in every cell of his body. Derek wasn’t packless, he also wasn’t part of Scott’s pack. He was more of an omega, hanging out on the sidelines, ready to break away if needed, so Avery’s status pulled at him to belong. “My name's Derek. Who are you?”

“Hale?” the boy asked, pulling Avery closer. Derek held back the growl when she groaned in pain. “She said to go to you. I don’t…” he blinked, the gold faded and he slumped, defeated, over her before he suddenly lifted his head. “Your scent, I know it. She has a…”

Derek interrupted, “a sweater, a gray one that I used to wear.” He smiled at the thought, a rare sight for those who knew him but this kid lit up at it and the response. “I gave it to her in New York.” His eyes went down to the pale body in his arms. “What’s your name?”

“Lucas,” he whispered, drawing in a deep breath, but he still pulled her closer. “Help her, she’s dying.”

“Okay,” he inched towards him, still crouched, and reached out a hand. “I’m not going to hurt your alpha, but I need to check her.”

Lucas rolled his lips, even as he nodded, baring still blunt fangs. It was the moment that Derek touched her skin that he seemed to relax again. Derek could feel the poison, smell it on her, and as he drew her pain into himself, he could also sense how close she was to the edge. With a sigh, he met the young beta’s eyes.

“I have a friend that can help her, but we need to go now.” Derek reached out, both hands extended, palms up, showing off vulnerable spots that the beta could use to kill him if he felt inclined, but Lucas barely moved when Derek slipped his hands under her, one sliding beneath her neck to brace her shoulders, the other under her knees to lift her into his arms, and he did so without much effort. “I’ll put her in your truck and you can follow me. I won’t take her from you. You just have to trust me.”

Lucas watched with a bit of curiosity as Avery seemed to nestle into the man who held her, like she was safe. He tuned his ears into her heartbeat, the way it slowed, never skipped a beat, something he hadn’t heard calm in hours, and her breathing became steady, like she knew she would be in good hands. So, he nodded.

Derek moved as swiftly as he could, tucking her into the passenger’s seat again, not mentioning the black blood that covered the faux leather interior. She was bleeding out, the poison was taking over but she was holding on and that was something. Closing the door, Derek turned his eyes to him and nodded. 

Lucas caught on quickly, moving around to slip behind the wheel before Derek even made it to the Camaro but that wasn’t all, the kid was on his tail all the way to the clinic, not once losing him on the windy backroads. When both vehicles came to a screeching halt behind the blue Jeep that ultimately signaled that Stiles and Scott were there, Lucas had surrendered Avery to Derek again without a second’s hesitation.

The backdoor flung open, and Derek moved with Avery in his arms, right past Stiles -- who eyed over the new beta that followed -- and straight to the exam room. 

Scott’s eyes narrowed at the boy taking in his scent and the nervous energy that vibrated from him, but only for a moment while Derek glared at him. Lucas knew this could be a threat to Avery in her weakened state and his eyes grew bright with power, claws  _ snicked _ out on reflex and he let a rumble flow from his chest. 

Derek glanced up at the boy, catching his eyes as he placed Avery down on the table. “Luke!” 

And the boy outright growled. 

Derek ignored his animalistic complaints, motioning his head to step closer and he went, eyes still on the other alpha and stood beside the older man. Derek’s eyes were locked on him, as he went for the hem of Avery’s shirt, slowly removing it to see the extent of her wounds. It was the edge of control that he was watching in her beta, the deep even breaths Lucas was taking to fight to stay away, to not attack, and it reminded Derek of Liam.

Lucas’s breath left him as he looked over the expanse of broken and bloodied skin on her abdomen. The bullet wounds had stopped bleeding but the black veins that crawled around them and up towards her heart were just as disconcerting.

“What happened?” Stiles’ voice was quiet, unnervingly so, but Derek could feel the human close. He turned slowly and glanced up at him, shaking his head, but in the usual Stiles fashion, the human took a step towards them, curiosity and confusion on his face. 

“Don’t,” was the one quiet word Derek managed to whisper out that had Stiles stopping in his tracks, his whiskey eyes locking on the werewolf’s and Derek gave a slight shake of his head. Stiles took that as two things; it’s dangerous to come to close, and Derek had no idea what the hell happened.

“We need to remove the bullets,” a new voice interrupted the night, and Lucas spun on his heels, fangs bared at the new man in the room. Deaton in all his stoic indifference, cocked a brow and looked at the beta, hands clasped casually in front of him. Stiles moved back to the doorway as Derek stepped up behind Lucas, placed a gentle hand on his chest and held him there, even as the boy pressed against his palm. “My name is Deaton, I’m here to help. You must be her beta.”

Lucas blinked, stood straight, and glanced at Derek, who only gave a curt nod before Lucas’s eyes were back on the man. “I am.”

“Tell me what happened...” Deaton paused, as if he were waiting for something.

“Lucas,” he replied quietly, claws slowly receding as his eyes went from the man to the alpha and his friend. “Who are they?”

“This is Scott McCall, the alpha of the territory,” Derek spoke softly, inching the boy back to his spot at the table. “The other one is his packmate, Stiles. They’re not going to hurt her either. You have my word.”

Derek glanced at the hurt in Stiles’ eyes, not from the way Derek just spoke of them but something else, something like real pain, his eyes on the alpha that lay on the table. Stiles ducked his head and turned, disappearing out of the doorway, out of Derek’s sight.

Lucas turned to meet his gaze, knowing the truth by his scent, but believing it by seeing the unwavering promise in them. Lucas nodded, his lids slowly closed before he drew in Avery’s scent, let the sound of her heartbeat ground him, and the touch of his hand on her’s told him that he was really there with her.

“We were south, hiding out at an old cabin one of her friends had let us borrow, but they came.” His voice shook as he tried to shut out the memories.

“Hunters?” Scott spoke up. The question only got a nod from the boy.

The clang of metal on a tray had Lucas opening his eyes as he looked at the tools Deaton laid out beside him. He tightened his hand on Avery but didn’t step away, instead he looked at Scott.

“We’re the last of our pack. They killed off the rest.” 

It was Stiles that questioned this time. “Why?”

“She wouldn’t tell me, she just said that she had to keep me safe.” He ran his free hand down his face before blinking back the tears of anger that threatened to fall. “It doesn’t matter because they found us anyway. She got in front of me when they opened fire, and then we ran. She said to come here, to Derek.” Glancing at the man beside him didn’t give him anything to go on, but as the bullets were pulled from her skin one by one, he knew she had saved his life again. He took a quick breath, something to clear his lungs but with it, he caught the scent of the poison. “It’s wolfsbane, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Deaton responded without looking up, and Lucas dug deep into his pocket, “but without knowing the strain…” A bullet hung in the air just in Deaton’s eye line when he moved to dig another out of the woman on the table. Deaton gently plucked it from the beta’s fingers before making eye contact. “How did you know to keep one?” 

“I had a very good teacher.” 

Derek watched as the boy crouched down beside her hand, arm on the table so he could rest his chin on it, and he went quiet. Derek shook his head, fought the urge to reach out to him, and instead crossed his arms, letting his gaze fall on Avery. 

It was quiet for what felt like hours. Stiles paced the waiting area, Scott played on his phone -- not moving far from the human -- as he sat in a waiting room chair, one leg over the armrest. Derek leaned in the doorway, watching Lucas, who hadn’t left her side, slowly fall into a restless sleep in the chair that Derek had insisted he took, her hand still in his.

“Hey, Derek,” Stiles whispered, stepping up beside him. He felt the slight chill of the human’s fingers on his bare arm and slowly turned his head in his direction. Stiles still shook under his glare after all these years but this time he didn’t give into that reaction to the beta, instead his fingers curled deeper into Derek’s skin, giving him just a little pull towards the waiting room. “Come on, it’s not as if she’s going to jump off the table and run. Come in here.”

“What?” His tone was just above a growl and  _ that _ got Stiles to let go. The man held up both hands, his whiskey eyes roamed over the werewolf before he glanced back at Scott, who was now sitting up, giving them both his full attention.

“I know you said you knew her in New York, but what kind of connection makes her beta listen to you?” It was a legit question, something that must have been racing through Stiles’ mind since they arrived, and Derek was surprised it took him that long to ask.

“She has a sweater I gave her,” Derek whispered softly, like the confession was something he really didn’t want to give. “And he recognized my scent.”

“Your…” Stiles blinked, glanced at Scott and then back, “scent? I thought that would have worn off by now. You’ve been in Beacon Hills for years.”

“It’s called a scent bond.” Deaton spoke up from somewhere behind Derek, getting the three of them to turn quickly in his direction as he stepped into the waiting room, drying his hands, his eyes going right to Derek. “She’ll be fine. The bullet her beta brought me was very useful in determining what to use to counteract the poison. They’re both resting.” Derek stepped closer, intending to move past him, but Deaton held up one hand, not touching him at all instead instantly stilling the man. “Let them sleep.”

“I know what a scent bond is,” Stiles broke the tension in the room, which also caught Derek’s attention bringing his green eyes to the man. The look of confusion on Stiles’ face would be almost comical if it weren’t for the topic. It wasn’t a normal  _ tell me what I want to know _ expression, instead it was something akin to  _ I need to understand something _ , and that made Derek unsure. “But why?”

“Sometimes, when two people love each other,” Deaton started…

Derek growled, instantly silencing him. “It doesn’t matter. She’s here, she’s safe, and I intend to keep her that way.”

He turned and against Deaton’s advice, slipped into the room. 

Deaton stepped closer to Scott, holding out the bullet casing silently until Scott took it from his hand, inspecting it. He took a strong pull on the scent and shook his head.

“Whose is it?” Stiles whispered as Scott handed it over.

“Not Argent’s.” Which was a relief actually and Stiles brought it up to eye level. “But it smells funny.”

“I couldn’t tell by your response.” The level of sarcasm from Stiles only told his best friend how tired he was. “Look,” he held out the bullet to Deaton, “if she’s fine, I’m gonna go home and get a few hours before work.”

“I think that’s a good idea. I’m going to have Derek move her to his loft when I feel she’s stable enough. I think it would be best if she’s in someplace a little safer than here.” 

Deaton’s suggestion was definitely toned as an order, though it didn’t matter, Derek would have taken her home anyway, but his scowl deepened and he barely held back a growl in the man’s direction. It was Scott’s next statement that finally got a reaction out of him.

“I’ll help you get her home.”

That just wasn’t going to happen.

“No.” Derek stepped forward, hand raised as Scott made a move to come closer. Derek swallowed back the need to show his dominance as an older werewolf to the alpha, but just barely, because the confusion on the young man’s face told Derek everything he needed to know. Scott didn’t have a clue what he was trying to offer. He let his shoulders slump and he ran a hand over his face before he gave up the why. “You’re an alpha.”

“Yeah, so, I just want to help.” Scott and his sense of morality, of goodness. It was irritating.

“Oh, I see.” Stiles nodded, as he  _ mm-hmphed _ , behind the two of them, getting all three men to turn in his direction. Stiles wasn’t even looking at them. He had the side of his nail against his mouth, lost in thought, nodding to himself for a long moment before he even glanced up. His whiskey brown eyes went wide. “I mean, obviously, that kid’s not going to let you anywhere near her.”

“How does he get it, and you don’t have a clue?” Derek grumbled, his voice full of annoyance as if Scott was a newly bitten wolf and not one who had been dealing with it for years already. Scott scoffed, offended but just raised his brows for an explanation that was  _ more _ than what Stiles offered. “Betas are fiercely protective of their alphas, especially after a trauma. Luke would rather rip you apart then let you anywhere near her right now… because you’re an alpha.”

“Did you just call him  _ Luke _ ?” Stiles spoke up at the odd nickname, a smile in his tone, and spread across his face.

At the same time that Scott came out with; “I’d never hurt someone like that.”

Derek chose to ignore Stiles and shrugged at Scott. “He’s not going to see it that way, and he doesn’t know you. You’re still a threat.”

“And how are you not… again?” Stiles, offended at the lack of response to his previous question, threw one out trying his hardest to get Derek’s attention. “And explain “scent bond” a little more to me, I don’t think I got it.”

He didn’t notice how close Stiles had gotten, but when he did, it wasn’t because of the fact that Stiles was  _ close _ but more of the fact that he was trying to peek around him and into the room. Derek gently placed a hand on the man’s chest, fingers spread wide, feeling the race of Stiles’ heart, breathing in the mix of scents that seemed to pour off him and gently he pushed him back. 

When he was finally able to meet his eyes, Derek took in the confused concern there, and while it looked like an angry glare, Derek was trying not to add worry about the human’s sudden odd reaction to the pair on top of the heart-wrenching terror he was fighting down. 

“Not now.” His tone was soft, but it got him what he wanted, the shift to a slower beat in Stiles’ still racing heart rate. The human stepped away, moving back towards the chairs, only to stand there, biting on his finger again, hopping gently in place. Derek leaned back against the sill, tilted his head so that he could peak in on the sleeping pair and sighed. “I give them a little longer and then move her. Luke’s exhausted, and probably starving…” 

He didn’t know how to ask, just let his green eyes gaze over at the two in the room, landing right on the bouncing man.

Stiles rolled his eyes, like it was the most difficult request ever and he threw his hands in the air. “Alright, you twisted my arm. I’ll go get food.” But that was mainly a response because Stiles was hungry too, and his stomach gave it away, grumbling as if to agree to his own statement. He shook his head and sighed. “Breakfast or greasy middle of the night stuff?”

“I don’t think it matters.” There was a humored tone on the edge of his voice, and Scott noticed it. He narrowed his eyes at the man before letting it go because Derek was digging out his wallet. He handed Stiles forty dollars, fingers brushing the warmth of Stiles’ hand, a way to convey concern, protection, thanks, but Derek quickly took them away. “Protein, as much as you can.” Derek’s gaze landed on the younger human and the corners of his lips curled up. “And yeah, you can get curly fries.”

“ _ Yes _ !” Stiles snatched the money and made a bee-line for the exit, pausing with the door open to look back at Scott. “Hey,” the werewolf turned in his direction, “are you coming?”

Scott sighed, then gave in. “Yeah.”

And with that, both were out the door.

Deaton watched it close before he turned to Derek, making sure to wait for the sound of the Jeep’s engine to fade before he spoke. “How long have you been bonded to her?”

Derek turned suddenly, more pissed off than anything, and headed towards Lucas, but his voice stayed low, calm. “Drop it.”

“This is important, Derek. I’m not asking to invade your privacy, but since you’ve been in Beacon Hills, you’ve never once mentioned having a mate.”

Derek spun on him, finger pointed as he glared. “Don’t use that word.”

“A scent bond is just as important as a mating bite.” Deaton’s insistence was getting on his nerves, and Derek felt his claws extend, digging into his palm as he fought to keep the power down. “It’s important.”

He was silent, still as a statue, eyes locked on the rise of Avery’s chest, the way Lucas breathed as he slept with his hand wrapped around hers and he knew  _ why _ it was important. An Alpha Mate in a pack was second in command, second to none, a step below an alpha themselves, and above the betas and omegas in every aspect, which is why Lucas had listened to him. Derek didn’t want to be responsible for a pack again. He had screwed up royally with Erica and Boyd, their deaths were on his hands, and he had pushed Isaac away until the boy left town but there was just a pull, not only to the new beta, but so much so to Avery.

“We’ve known each other since 2009.” Derek finally admitted in a whisper. “She’s actually Laura’s beta.” That seemed to shock Deaton so much that the man didn’t even breath in a gasp, he just fell eerily quiet. “Laura had saved her from a mugging in Queens. Avery fought her way out of an alley against two men twice her size, and was stabbed in the process. She shouldn’t have made it but when Laura heard her yelling  _ fire _ , smelled the blood in the air, she went to her rescue.”

Derek let the tension bleed out of him as he recounted the story, his entire stature seemed to ease, eyes going soft as he focused on her face. 

“She was told everything, still coherent enough to ask questions, put up a struggle to stay alive and aware. Laura’s bite took hold almost instantly, but she had lost a lot of blood, so we had to take her to the hospital, there was no way around it. The fact that she was still human,” Derek sighed, ran a hand down his face and rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve the tension building once again. He was wound too tight. “The fact that she was still human helped them find her blood type, get her the transfusion she needed, and we were able to act pretty quickly after that. Laura had contact with the pack emissary there. She met us at the hospital, was good enough to talk herself around all the legalities of moving a trauma patient and Avery had her own room in a matter of hours. 

“The moment I touched her...” Derek paused, his voice breaking as he tried to keep it even but failed, before going on. “Do you know what a bond does to a person? To one of us?”

“Unfortunately, no. There hasn’t been a documented case of this in decades and the last one in the area, well… You’re mother was very good with records, but she kept them in the vault under the school, something I don’t have access to.”

Derek stepped closer to the table, let his hand touch Avery’s boot. He rested it there for a moment before slipping it down under the fabric of her jeans to find bare skin. Derek’s whole body seemed to shake when he finally wrapped his fingers around her ankle, pressing warm skin to his palm.

“The first thing you notice is their scent. It’s different from anyone else’s. It’s how I knew the bite took, her scent just amplified. I could smell her before, even as a human. The sweet smell of Jasmine, a hint of fresh cut grass, and if it makes any sense,” he glanced at Deaton, face warm with a blush, “sunshine, or more the heat of it when you’re spread out in a field of grass that hasn’t been touched by human hands.”

“And when she was human?”

“It was there, just dull. Enough to lure me in at the accident scene, but muted because of the blood, and fear, but definitely there. When she started to transition, it just swept over me, and I wanted to bury myself in her neck, any pulse point just to get lost in it.” 

Deaton smiled, kept his distance and kept as quiet as possible. If Derek was being this open, he didn’t want to risk losing the knowledge of this rare find. There was a pause, and he silently observed as Derek -- not letting go of her leg -- moved to the side of the table, took her hand in his and brought her wrist to his nose. It was so intimate that Deaton found himself turning away as much as he could.

“When she woke, she knew everything, had retained the memories of our conversation before she blacked out. She wasn’t frightened, didn’t scream or run, but she asked the strangest thing looking straight at me.” Derek released her ankle, kept her hand in his and reached up, smoothing back her hair before he shifted and raked his fingers through the sleeping beta’s as well, a loving gesture that had Deaton more curious, but he said nothing. “She asked me why I looked so familiar. Laura laughed. Just laughed like the world hadn’t come to a complete stop, like I wasn’t standing there dumbfounded, and even more so when Avery asked what smelled so good.

“That’s when I knew.” Derek’s eyes came right up, catching Deaton’s with absolute confidence. “That’s when I knew what she was to me.”

“You scent bonded that quickly?” It wasn’t a shock, so much as  _ figures _ , because this was Derek after all and he did everything quite intensely. Derek didn’t bother with a response, he just went back to looking over the woman. They had managed to replace her shirt with a scrub top from the closet, so it was only fitting that Deaton observed the way Derek gently lifted it to check the wounds, all of which were covered by as small a piece of gauze as possible to watch the progress. “They’re improving.”

Derek nodded, lowered the shirt, and quickly looked towards the door the two had bolted out of. 

“Maybe, when they’re settled, you and I should have a talk about Stiles.”

Derek blinked up at him, not sure what the hell Deaton was talking about, but before he could voice his question, the Vet turned slowly, made his way out of the backroom and into the waiting room just in time to see Scott and Stiles come in with their arms full of take-out from a diner down the street.

Quietly behind him, Deaton could almost hear Derek gently waking the boy. He smiled at the paternal nature of the werewolf and hoped that this time around, as an alpha mate, that Derek would have better luck with a pack of his own. 

Scott moved towards the break room, just off to the side of the waiting area, and brought back a table as Stiles locked the door, and pulled the shade to make sure the “Sorry, we’re closed” sign was actually obeyed this time, before the two of them set out the Styrofoam boxes.

Derek stepped around him, the sleepy beta slowly following, but Deaton saw the instant Lucas took in the presence of the alpha. It was a tangible vibration in the air, and if he imagined it correctly, he could almost see his hackles rise.

There was a low growl from the boy that got Scott’s attention and he slowly stood, watching Lucas as Derek stepped closer, cautiously. Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, Derek fought to catch his attention. It wasn’t until he let the power in his eyes shine blue that the beta turned his head in his direction.

“Luke,” and that soft but commanding voice caught Stiles’ attention too, because Derek  _ wasn’t  _ soft. “This is Scott and Stiles, remember?”

“Hu...human,” his breath stuttered over the word, but his body slowly relaxed under Derek’s touch, and his eyes went to Stiles, hazel once more and full of wonder as if he’d never seen a human packmate, but they quickly shifted to Scott. “Alpha.”

“Right,” Derek gave him a slight pat and guided him to the chair. “They’re friends, allies.”

“Okay.” It was a barely-there response but Derek heard it. The older man pressed down on his shoulder, getting him to sit but Lucas didn’t take his eyes off Scott. “I can’t.” He suddenly struggled against Derek’s hold but the hand didn’t move away. “Derek, I can’t.”

“You can.” And Stiles’ eyes went even wider. Who the hell was this guy, what did he do to  _ his _ Derek? “She’s right in there, no one’s getting past us to get to her. Now eat.”

Those last two words, the way they were said, made even Scott shiver. Stiles gave the kid a small smile then passed him a cheeseburger. Without a single word, Lucas dug in and once he got going, he was ravenous. Derek’s grin grew as he sunk down in the seat beside him and slowly picked at his own food. Lucas had downed two cheeseburgers before Derek even finished his first, but it was the sound from the backroom that caught everyone’s attention.

Derek was on his feet and moving before Lucas but the beta was quickly on his heels. Scott was up and moving too, staying a safe distance away when the two ahead of him entered. Deaton stopped Scott and Stiles in the doorway.

Avery lay still on the table, but her eyes were wide open, red with power. Her hands were clenched into fists, but it was evident that her claws were sinking into her skin. Her face was lined with light hair, almost the shade of peach fuzz, and her ears were definitely those of a wolf, but it was the panicky way her chest rose and fell that had Derek on one side and Lucas on the other.

She stared up at Lucas, looking him over with a strange fascination that gave Deaton the impression she wasn’t fully awake or aware. It was as if she were seeing him for the first time, but slowly recognition hit. Her lips parted, her fingers uncurled and she let out a content sigh before she tilted her head towards Derek. Her eyes widened, still alpha red, and her breathing accelerated. Derek leaned down cautiously, and stared right at her, unwavering, letting his eyes glow blue. There was a quick flash of emotions, something completely human before her lips rolled and her fangs extended, blunt but there.

“What’s going on?” Scott whispered right in Deaton’s ear, trying not to disturb the scene.

“Her wolf is awake and aware, even if her human part is still healing. She’s looking for her pack.” Both men watched the slow movements of her hand as she reached for Lucas’s as it lay on the table beside hers. He slipped his fingers under, let hers wrap around him, but he didn’t move in any other way as Avery scanned Derek. “She knows him instinctively, but there’s always that off chance, which is why Derek is so close.”

“She doesn’t recognize the bond?” Stiles was always curious when it came to Derek, more so because the werewolf  _ never _ let anyone in, or gave up much about his past, especially in New York, but here he was staring at proof that Derek was… well, normal? “That’s bad, right? If she doesn’t?”

“Oh no, she recognizes it.” 

Stiles looked a little confused because it still seemed that Avery didn’t have a clue as to who Derek was, at least not until she drew in a deep breath through her nose. It was when a low rumble emanated from her chest that Stiles got the point. He patted Scott on the shoulder, catching his attention, before he pointed to the room.

“I think they might need some privacy.” Scott smiled, shook his head and moved away from the doorway. As Stiles sat, he watched the strange longing in his best friend’s eyes. “What?” But Scott’s only answer was a slight shake of his head. “Dude, I just didn’t want to see Derek kissing someone, that’s weird.”

“It’s not that,” Scott whispered, grabbing at his fries. “It’s her beta. He looks so lost.”

“He’s not, okay.” Stiles patted his shoulder. “His alpha is right there, and she’s going to be fine. You don’t need to adopt another one… and this one’s not even a stray.”

“I know. And that’s not what I meant by lost.” Scott sat back, biting his lip before he turned to his friend. “We need to help them make a home here, to belong to the community. Werewolves need packs.”

“He wants to bite your face off.” Stiles blinked as his brows raised. “Scott, he won’t even let you near her.”

“Not now, not when she’s hurt.” Scott sighed, “but maybe when she’s better.”

Stiles patted him on the shoulder. “Sure, bud, that’ll happen.”

Scott scowled at him, or more like frowned because he wasn’t mad, just upset that Stiles didn’t agree with him, but then again, this kid really did have it out for Scott when it came to coming anywhere near his alpha, and that was just in the last few hours.

~~~~~

Her eyes drifted shut, something she suddenly forced opened again, the blood red color hadn’t faded but she also hadn’t stopped the staring contest that was going on with Derek. She was fighting unconsciousness and that made him smile, only because it let him know that she was fighting with everything she had. He shifted, something he should have waited to do, but he couldn’t anymore. Her wolf recognized him, he could tell that much by the shift in her scent, so he had to chance it.

He brought one hand up, slipped it under the blood-coated one on the table. Her claws had retracted, and the moon-shaped punctures in her palms had healed, but there was still the tacky feel of the blood on her skin that made Derek’s own wolf uncertain. He wrapped his fingers around hers, felt them tighten against his and smiled. With his other, he traced her cheek with his knuckles, down over her jaw and back until he could brush the hair from her face.

“It’s okay to give in,” he whispered so close to her ear that he could feel the heat of her skin, and he held back the urge to bury his nose in her scent right against her neck. He heard her exhale a shiver, if that was a thing, just an echo of it as she breathed, but he didn’t move away. “He’s safe with me. You’re safe, Erie.”

And that’s when he heard her voice for the first time in years… almost five now. 

“Derek?” And he couldn’t hold back a smile, nodding as he leaned forward, closed that distance and rested his lips against her cheek, kissing her softly. 

He felt the moment she let go of everything, falling back into the healing sleep she needed and he blinked back tears before looking up at Lucas. The boy seemed to be on the verge of tears himself, but he wasn’t looking at Avery, he was staring at Derek with so much hope that it almost broke the man’s heart.

Derek nodded, like he was answering a question the boy hadn’t even managed to ask yet. “She’ll be okay.” 

And Lucas broke. 

He sank down, legs not holding him anymore, into a crouch but he didn’t let her go as he quietly let the tears fall. Derek debated on going to him, on coddling the boy until his alpha awoke again, but he didn’t know if he was allowed. There was something about the pull to this kid that bothered him and felt right at the same time. So, Derek did the only thing he could really think of doing, he reached over and rested his hand on top of Lucas’s.

“I’ll take you home,” he continued, words full of his intent to keep them both safe. “She’s stable enough to move, and I can protect you both there.” He saw the nod of the dark head of hair, it was only slightly but enough to be noticed before he slipped his hand away and walked towards Deaton. Derek positioned himself in the doorway to not only see the two in the backroom but also the three that now stood in the waiting room. His eyes fell on Scott. “I’m taking them with me.”

And with that, he turned around, walked straight over to the table and scooped up Avery, a sudden gesture that got Lucas to look up in surprise but followed without so much as a whimper of protest. Scott and Stiles were right behind them, the human scooting ahead to open the back door where Lucas’s truck was parked, and they watched in silence as Derek placed Avery in the passenger’s seat of the truck before placing a hand on Lucas’s arm. 

The need for grounding contact with the beta was weird, even to Derek, but stranger still to the three on-lookers. With his green eyes locked on the boy’s hazel ones, the order to  _ ‘follow me’ _ was silently given and completely understood as Lucas rounded the truck to the driver’s door. Derek drew in a breath and looked at the three.

“Let us know when she wakes up,” Scott’s voice was calm, soothing and Derek gave him a nod before making a point to grab Stiles attention and hold that stare for longer than necessary. Again, it was silent communication, and the human nodded even if it was only a curt thing that no one would notice unless he was looking.

And with that, they were gone. 

The Camaro led the way out of the parking lot with the truck not far behind. Stiles stood, hands on his hips, wondering just what he had gotten himself into when he agreed, albeit silently, to stop by the loft and check in. What got him was that Derek didn’t want Scott to know, otherwise he would have just said it out loud, but that wasn’t going to stop him from doing what his friend had asked… after a couple hours of sleep.

Stiles ran a hand down his face. “I’m gonna go home and crash. Got the early shift, so tomorrow’s going to include a lot of coffee.”

Scott only nodded, not taking his eyes from the retreating vehicles before he slowly let out a breath. “Yeah, I should go too, we’ve got Lacrosse practice in the morning.”

Both glanced at Deaton, who had said nothing, but stood looking perplexed and still. Scott patted him on the shoulder as the two turned and moved away, leaving the vet to go over whatever was going on in his head.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Her eyes opened slowly, blinking everything around her into focus, and everything included the stone and steel beamed ceilings of the old building she was in. It wasn’t an unknown feeling, waking up some place she didn’t recognize, but it was a little rattling. She focused on the things closest to her, the way the concrete looked between the stones, the rust spots on the exposed pipes… then a little further away, the moisture spots on the windows beside the bed, the lock that kept the small hatch window closed halfway up the eight-foot framed glass, the colors of the stained panes at the top, and then she drew in a breath.

Her heart thumped so hard it hurt. That scent, everything was saturated with it. The air. The sheets under her, the pillow beside her head as she turned just enough to bury her nose in the soft plush of it. 

_ Derek _ .

She thought back to the vague memory of him leaning in close, the red hue of her power edging in from the corners. It hadn’t been a dream. He was there, somewhere close. Lucas had found him. 

She flexed her fingers, finding them scratching the fabric of a light tee-shirt and tilted her head to look down at the dark head of hair resting against her stomach. The boy had always made a point of staying close, of all her betas he was the one with the greatest attachment, and he wasn’t even hers, not by blood. He was comforted by contact, and she was okay giving it to him, so most nights, when she was alone at least, she would wake to find him doing this exact thing, curled up against her.

Now, his position held two purposes. One was that comfort, the other was to keep an eye on her wounds. His nose was pressed against the feeling of a small tug, and if Avery was right, it was from medical tape. He had stayed close to make sure the scent of the poison had left her system. She wanted to wake him, to tell him that she was fine, that his actions had saved her life, but honestly, she had no idea where he had taken her except that Derek was there.

Finally.

She tested her legs by flexing her feet, stretching them so they pointed out and then back so that they were tipped to the sky. She shifted her knees, bent the arm that wasn’t preoccupied by the beta and slowly shifted away from him. It took her nearly ten minutes in order to not wake him.

She found that even with all the preparation, her body still fought the thought of being up on her feet. Her limbs were shaky, all the way up to her shoulders, but she used the wall to keep vertical, and she moved at a pace that only a snail would lose at, until she shifted away from the large king bed and found herself staring at the vast emptiness of a large loft. 

The windows were a vantage point, twenty-feet high with a view of Beacon Hills, strategic and definitely useful. In front of it was a long eight-foot table, covered in so much paperwork and blueprints, Avery quickly became confused at whatever train of thought stopped and started there several times. There was a small kitchen, one obviously newly renovated because all of the appliances didn’t fit the theme of the place, but it was the one lonely couch that got her.

It was situated so that it was between the kitchen, the bed, the door and the desk, with the ability to see all with just the turn of the head. In front and beside it was a small coffee table, an end table with a single lamp, and a small bar on wheels, but that wasn’t the true reason for the focus on the couch. 

No, the real draw to it was the man that stretched the lengths of it’s cushions. He had on black sweats, a white tank and was completely barefoot, something that had her whole body shivering because the vulnerability it took for him not to be prepared to jump and run at the slightest noise was completely different then the last time she had seen him. He had one arm up against the backrest, hand tucked behind his head, and the other down resting on his stomach. 

The scratchy, full, but well trimmed shadow of his beard was something new as well, since he was a clean-shaved baby face the last time they had been together, and his thick black hair was currently sticking up in several directions, like he had spent hours running his hands through it, or even tugging at it in frustration.

_ Tugging at it _ , now there was a thought and she drew in a shaky breathing because she remembered her hands being buried in that hair, the feeling of it shifting through her fingers. It had been soft, thick, and the memory made her swallow hard. His body stirred on the couch, shifting just a bit as her scent changed, the need to touch him again tinged with a sweeter note and Avery pulled it back, tucked it away as she stepped closer.

Standing beside the couch, she didn’t make a move to touch him, just stood there and watched, at least until his heartbeat changed. Avery saw the moment he woke, his chest expanded with a lazy draw of air, his lips parted softly as his tongue flicked out to moisten them and there was a small flutter of his lids before they slowly opened. 

Between thick lashes, a small slit of Derek’s green eyes shown through. He was looking at her, taking in the fact that she was standing there on her own. He didn’t want to break the moment, but he knew she couldn’t stand all day and just let him look, so he finally shook himself out of the stupor and opened them fully. 

Avery slipped her leg over his waist, resting it between his thigh and the backrest, and placed both hands gently on his chest as she brought her other knee up to tuck on the edge of the couch. Derek’s hand came down from behind his head at the same time the one on his chest came up to rest on her hips, holding her steady as she pressed her weight down just enough to shake off the rest of his sleepy haze.

She was really there, warm and solid, and sitting on his lap. Once stable, he slipped his hands away, tucked his elbows back and used them to prop himself up, to get closer to her as she leaned down as she braced against his chest.

“You should be resting.” His voice was deep and hoarse from sleep, and that was not what he wanted his first words to be to her, but if it caused that little smile on the corner of her lips to tick up again, he’d say it every single time.

“You know how much I love to do things I  _ should. _ ” Derek’s heart thumped painfully in his chest at the sound of her voice, and the smile fell as he put his weight on one arm to reach up and touch her face. “Thank you for saving my life.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Derek sighed, the rough pads of his fingers traced her cheek, getting her to close her eyes, lean into the touch. “Luke did. He got you here.”

“Luke?” Her grin was like the sun, and her eyes darted to the room. “He lets you call him that?”

Derek was suddenly worried. “Should I not? He hasn’t said anything. Is it wrong?”

“No,” she quieted him with a hand on his cheek, something that Derek instantly craved to never go away. “No, he’s just usually more reserved with nicknames, more of a proper person.” All the humor suddenly shifted, as her body pressed more against him, connecting them at the hip, and then stomach as she closed the distance. “Derek,” her breath ghosted along his lips. “God, I’ve missed you.”

He let his body fall back to the couch, wrapped his arms around her, hands grasping at her shoulder and hip to keep her close and he buried his face against the warmth of her neck. Avery did the same, sliding one hand in his hair and the other under his arm to latch onto his shoulder. She breathed him in the deep scent of woods and spring when the snow began to melt, of fresh new life and sunshine, if that was possible but her fingers curled and she refused to let him go.

Until the front door slid open.

Derek looked up in time to see Lucas move from the bed, bright gold eyes filled with power, and he dashed swiftly across the room. Avery shifted just as he pressed Stiles against the wall, lower arm against his neck, a warning but not restricting his airflow. They sat up, concerned but also confused because Lucas wasn’t hurting him, just herding him against the wall.

Avery moved, a curious look in Derek’s direction before she was on her feet, the dark-haired werewolf slowly following. She took in the human scent of this newcomer, but she also recognized two things at once, both of which made her stand up straight, stop dead in her tracks, and look to Derek.

“He’s your pack?” 

Stiles scoffed under Lucas’s hold which caught her attention again. Her eyes locked with the man, and he flushed under her gaze, but did everything in his power not to break it. Derek watched the interaction with fascination. Stiles was a man of many things, but strength under scrutiny wasn’t one of them. He always looked away, even from him, never holding a staring match to the end, but as he watched, Derek saw the moment that Stiles gave in.

The man licked his lips, parting them just slightly as Avery stepped closer and he quickly found his bravado. “Technically, he’s mine… well, not mine-mine but Scott’s… I think, but no, we’re not…”

Avery glanced back at Derek, breaking the game before Stiles, which only got a grin from the amber-eyed human, before she turned back to him, instantly locked on again, with a little cock of her head as if she were inspecting everything about him.

The intensity of the scents that filled the room changed, and Derek caught his breath quickly, noting the curious hint of intrigue and arousal mixed into one, and he wasn’t sure which it was coming from, only that it made his own heart thump hard in his chest.

“Stiles.” Derek didn’t snap out at him, he just shook his head, getting the man to shut it, but his eyes were on Avery, watching the curiosity grow in her eyes. “This is…”

Avery was moving, stalling his words. “Stiles?” Like it was something to taste, to try on the tip of her tongue, and Derek shivered, that want was coming from her, but she glanced back at Derek, letting her eyes roam over him before she finished her thought. “What kind of a name is Stiles?” 

She stepped right up beside Lucas and put a hand on his shoulder, easing the beta from the man, and Stiles let out a sigh of relief when the boy finally backed away. He didn’t move from the wall, not with the new alpha so close, but he didn’t let that stop his mouth from running.

“It’s a nickname,” the whiskey-eyed man answered, his voice low and rough, but he cleared his throat and tugged down his shirts, smoothing out the wrinkles Lucas had put in them. “Trust me, it’s way better than my given one.” He reached out, throwing caution to the wind -- since he was so used to dealing with ornery werewolves -- and patted Lucas on the shoulder, something that instantly got a shift from Avery. “Good job, at least we know someone in this place was on guard, and not sucking face with the door unlocked.”

The boy smiled ever so slightly at the praise, which he shook off quickly when Stiles slipped by, avoiding the alpha at all costs. Avery just rolled her eyes, huffed out through her nose and glared at the back of his head as he headed for Derek. It was a sigh from Lucas that got her attention back on him.

“Sorry,” Lucas all but whispered, which Avery grinned at. She stepped up, placed her palm against his cheek and winked.

“He’s right, good job... But don’t tell him that. I have a feeling he’ll never let it go.” She ruffled his hair, stepped closer, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in as he buried his nose against her neck. “You didn’t just do good, you did great… with all of it. We’re safe here because of you.”

His fingers dug into her shoulders, gripping the shirt tightly, and she felt him breathe out all of the tension that was collecting in his muscles. The only two words he mumbled were almost lost in the fact that his face was buried against her neck, “thank God.”

Avery smiled, ran a hand down his hair and held him tighter.

Stiles paused on his way through the room, not more than three feet from Derek, close enough for the werewolf to finally take a moment to look him over. It was a thing, something that developed long ago in their odd friendship. Stiles was only human after all, but that didn’t mean he took that to heart. The man thought he was indestructible and if anything, it brought out Derek’s protective side. 

That was why Derek was taking this moment to look him over, to figure out if there was a hair out of place, if there was any sign of pain or injury, because Stiles was  _ his _ , which was a weird way to put it, but he was Derek’s to protect, to keep from harm.

Stiles only rolled his eyes at the treatment before letting his gaze move to Avery, or more to the point to Avery’s back. What Stiles did, he did mostly subconsciously but what he was doing was definitely checking her out, and there was that scent of curiosity and arousal… again. 

“What do you want, Stiles?” Derek huffed. That shook the pack of two from their reunion and had both looking over at him.

Stiles gaped, his lips moved as he struggled to find the words but then visibly straightened, and huffed. “You said to come by, so I came by. I didn’t realize I would be interrupting.” 

That was when Avery noticed the uniform. The dark blue officer’s shirt and pants looked good on him, like it was made just for Stiles, but as the human stomped his way towards the kitchen, Avery took in the lack of a gun.

“That wasn’t what that look meant.” Derek sighed, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and pointer before he pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn’t going to admit that it most certainly  _ meant _ exactly that, but Stiles brushed it off.

His eyes narrowed on Derek’s before he gave him just a small smirk. “Gonna make some coffee. I’m beat. Staying up with you lot, then working last night killed me.”

“You could have gone home and gotten some sleep.” Derek kept the conversation going as he followed his packmate to the kitchen.

“Right, like my overactive imagination and the fact that all I kept seeing is the way she looked at you half out of it, would actually let me get some shut-eye. That’s not how my brain works, Der.”

“What way?” Derek stopped at the edge of the island, watched as Stiles rummaged through the containers on the counter before stopping to lean in close enough that  _ maybe  _ Derek would be the only one to hear him.

“Like she was either going to eat you or fu--” 

“Stiles,” he whispered out a small warning, but that only got the smirk on the man to turn into a full-on grin and waggle his brows at the beta.

“I’m not wrong.” Stiles winked. “You can’t even pretend that I’m wrong.”

Derek crossed his arms and leaned them on the counter. Being friends with Stiles was frustrating most days -- with his ADHD keeping him on the go -- but the most fascinating thing about him was that… it was easy. However, there was one downfall. “You’re human, Stiles, you need to sleep at some point, and you’ve been going for days.” 

That statement caught Avery’s attention.

“You’re human,” Avery stepped away from Lucas, took hold of his hand and moved towards the kitchen, where she watched him navigate around it with an ease that screamed familiarity. It was nice. 

“Yeah, one hundred percent.” He pressed the start on the coffee maker and turned to look at her. Derek stood back, smirking as they mirrored each other, arms crossed on the island, leaning in, eyes locked, but there wasn’t any threat of violence, just massive curiosity. And heat. “Kinda had to be in this pack. So many egos, not enough humanity sometimes. Especially this guy. So full of himself.”

“I could see that,” she grinned, shooting a glance at Derek, who just gave a small shake of his head, because now they were ganging up. “I knew he always had it in him, buried deep under that preppy exterior.”

“Preppy?” Stiles stood straight, eyeing over the man in the sweats and tee, a light flush on his cheeks. “Derek? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in anything but tee-shirts and leather. I mean there were a few odd times where I walked in and he was totally...” 

Derek cleared his throat, shutting him right up, which made Avery laugh and Lucas groan.

“Oh, in New York he was like Clark Kent, faux glasses, khakis, and those shoes.” Avery teased, and while Derek wasn’t used to anyone using him as the butt of the joke anymore, he was having a hard time hiding the smile that was now plastered on his face.

“Wow!” Stiles sounded amazed, his eyes glued to the green-eyed beta in the room, going over him from head to toe and back, appreciatively. Stiles tended to have a bad habit of letting his expressions show -- which was why he was so very bad at poker, not that Derek minded taking his money -- but right now, the way Stiles ogled him had him shifting uncomfortably, and wishing he wasn’t wearing sweats. “I have to say, I’ve never seen him smile this much.”

Avery chuckled, her eyes now making him the center of attention. Derek exhaled, loudly, trying to sound put out. “Well, then, I’m glad to see he’s doing it now.” 

Lucas made a noise of disgust, just a noise because his scent couldn’t have expressed  _ happy _ any stronger and he trudged his way towards the bedroom, waving back at the trio without looking and just fell on to the bed, burrowing under the blankets before going still.

Derek followed him a few moments later, and pulled the sliding door shut. It was the look of sadness on Avery’s face that had him moving directly to her side. The way the scrub shirt fit too large for her shoulders, slipping down to expose her skin, let him brush his fingers over her soft skin past her pulse as if looking for confirmation that she was real before she looked up at him.

“I’m glad he feels comfortable enough to do that,” her voice was soft, full of love. “It’s been so long since he’s gotten a good night’s sleep.”

“You can stay here forever if you want,” Derek whispered a reply as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. It was a small, longing sigh that had them looking back at Stiles, who leaned on the counter, cup of coffee in front of him and Avery, but he had this stupid love-struck look on his face as he leaned on his knuckles. Stiles was adorable and grinning at the pair. “What?”

“You two are beautiful,” he sighed again, standing up quickly. “It’s like you were made for each other,” the silly grin fell from his face. “Scent bonded,” and that caught Avery’s attention, as Stiles’ comical face went wide, eyes and mouth expressing his sudden realization. “Oh, my God! You literally are made for each other. You’re soul mates.”

“True mates is what the lore calls it.” Avery took Derek’s hand in hers, which he wasted no time bringing it to his lips. “We didn’t think so at first, and you wouldn’t have either if you saw us in the beginning.”

“Really?”

“We were too stubborn for each other,” Derek chuckled and to Stiles that was new too.

“Stubborn? Derek? No, that’s not possible.” Stiles did his best to seem annoyed but Avery caught the teasing sarcasm in his voice. 

“We fought all the time, it was intense.” She turned her eyes to Derek, looking him over with a smirk on his face, “of course, finally falling into each other was…”

“I don’t need to know,” Stiles shook his head, holding up a hand, “this is me, not wanting to know.”

He turned around and went back to the coffee pot, still grinning though. Derek pulled her closer, rested his forehead against hers and let out a sigh of relief. Stiles cleared his throat and raised a travel mug when he got both of them to look. 

“Well, since all three of you are alive, and not killing each other, and the baby wolf is sleeping,” he winked, “I’m going home to catch a few hours. Consider my due diligence of checking-in served. You two kids have fun now.”

And out the door he went, like a hurricane, closing it quietly behind him. Avery turned in Derek’s arms, watching him go with a bit of confusion.

“He’s a strange one.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Derek tugged on her hand, moving her back to the couch, where he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her down on top of him again. Avery placed her hands on his chest, stretching the length of his body and rested her chin on them to scan his features. Derek brushed her hair back from her face. “I was terrified when I saw him holding you in the dark. My first thought was that I finally found you, my next was that I lost you.”

“I wasn’t sure coming to you would work, but I just...” she turned her head, resting her cheek against his chest to hear his heartbeat. “There was a pull, like you were so close but barely out of reach.”

“How did you know where I was?” He ran his fingers through her hair, down over her back and closed his eyes, relishing in the scent and feel of her. 

“I wasn’t positive, but I knew you came back here looking for Laura, and I had a feeling you never left.”

“I did, I went running after Kate, but I couldn’t stay gone, Scott needed me too much. The pack needed me.” Avery quickly shifted up, her hands on either side of his head in order to stare into his eyes. “What?”

“Stiles, he said you were in his pack, Scott’s pack. I thought,” she narrowed her eyes at him, giving just a bit of the alpha glow to him, getting his blue eyes to respond. “I thought you’d be an alpha of your own by now.”

“I was.” His voice dropped down to a whisper. “I had three betas, two died, and I sacrificed my spark to save my sister.” Derek drew in her scent, let it bring him down from the sudden anger over the deaths of Erica and Boyd. “I failed them. I turned Isaac away to keep him from getting hurt, and Boyd died at my hands because of an alpha pack. Erica… she was always a wild card.”

“And you gave it all up to save a life,” Avery cocked her head just a little, staring down into his eyes. “Sounds like an alpha to me.”

“I’m okay being a beta, being…”

“An omega?” She grinned, “despite your eye color, you are far from that, Derek Hale.”

“You think so now, but I haven’t…” Derek inhaled, pressed his lips together in a thin line and shook his head. “I’m not in a pack.”

“No,” she whispered, reaching out to brush the tips of her fingers along his jaw, “you’re in two. Stiles is right, you’re pack to him, and maybe you don’t think of Scott as your alpha, but you definitely think of Stiles as your packmate.”

“Stiles?” Derek smirked, then scoffed, trying to shake it off. “Stiles is an irritating little shit.”

“And your brother. And, maybe something more.” Avery sat back on her heels, pressing her weight onto his thighs, and Derek closed his eyes at how close she was to feeling the definite evidence of her finally being in his arms. “I can move.”

“Are you kidding?” He grumbled low, hands resting on her thighs, kneading the muscles as his thumbs slid up the inseam of those cotton scrub pants. “I don’t want you to ever move again. I just want you here so I can feel you.”

“With Lucas in the other room?” 

He opened his eyes, a bright blue looking up at her, but her smile calmed him and he licked his lips with just the tip of his tongue, biting down gently on the bottom one. “There’s rooms upstairs.”

“Hmm, while the idea is tempting,” she glanced at the closed door. Derek knew what she was thinking and gave a small smirk.

“He’s going to need more than that bed,” he whispered, trying to catch her attention again. “There’s three rooms up there. Peter’s and two guest rooms. We could move him, give him his own, with a proper door.”

Avery leaned over him once more, one hand going to his cheek as she smiled. “When did you get all paternal?”

“When I adopted Isaac, then Erica and Boyd.” He pressed his hand to hers, keeping it on his skin. “Isaac was abused, severely abused, and he needed me. I,” Derek shook his head. “He was here for a while before I sent him away.”

“Why did you do that? I know you said there was an alpha pack, but why send him -- specifically -- away?”

“He was my first, I didn’t know how to protect him if he was so close. I  _ couldn’t  _ protect him, so I sent him to Scott, who did what I failed at as an alpha.”

“You did exactly what you needed in order to keep him safe the best way possible. An alpha pack.  _ That _ alpha pack, I knew them.” Derek pulled her closer, letting her lean her forehead against him, letting the scent of her surround him and suddenly, he flipped her, locked her down on the couch below him as he settled between her legs. 

“You don’t have to talk about them,” his lips moved, brushing against hers as he breathed. “You never have to tell me anything.”

“It’s okay.” She moved her hand up, fingers dragging through his thick, black hair, still as soft as she remembered before tugging on the back of it. Derek let out a small rumble, one that started deep in his chest and vibrated though both of them. “They can’t hurt me, I know that, but Derek, I want to tell you everything, from the moment we broke apart to the second I opened my eyes and knew you were really here. I don’t ever want to be apart again.”

“You never have to leave.” He let his weight ground her, slipping his hands under her shoulders as he brought her close, “never.”

Her lips were like he remembered, soft, pliant, comforting, heated in the way she kissed back, mesmerizing when she parted them to let him in, and he fought back the need to take it to the next level, to make it demanding, tell her she was still his, show her. He kept them light, barely there, loving, until she wanted more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

It was sometime later when Derek shifted under Avery, getting her to _ hmm _ in disapproval, but the conversation of the day was running through his mind and he couldn’t hold it in any more. 

“You said Stiles was something more.”

“It’s nothing,” Avery grinned against his chest, turning her head to plant a gentle kiss on his sternum. “We all have favorites in the family, Derek, and I’m sure if your Isaac was here, he’d be yours, but it’s Stiles.”

“Stiles is not my favorite. Stiles is a pain in my ass,” he huffed, which only got a giggle from the woman who rested on him and he wrapped his arms tighter around her. 

“That may be true, but he does the same to you.” She looked up at him this time as Derek placed a hand behind his head, shifting so that he could at least sit up and look her in the eyes. “You don’t see how he looks at you. Human as he might be, Stiles scanned you over for injuries, even a hair out of place, more than once while he stood there. He wouldn’t have left if he wasn’t satisfied that you weren’t in danger.”

“What about you?”

She smirked at him and narrowed her eyes. “What about me?”

“I have a nose.”

“Yes, a perfectly beautiful one,” she moved up to give him a little peck on the end of it, just enough to bring her lips close and steal a kiss before she settled back down on it.

“You can’t tell me you didn’t notice.”

“I noticed, and I responded.” She let out a sigh, one of disappointment and shifted to back away, but Derek only wrapped her up tighter, holding her against his body. “I’m sorry if I upset you with it. It’s been a while since I’ve been around pack, and he smelled so much like you, but also… uniquely him. It was…”

“Overwhelming?” Derek chuckled.

“To say the least,” she didn’t fight against his hold, but sighed and relented to pulling him closer. Her fingers played with the tank he wore, relaxing into the strong embrace. “Why aren’t you upset?”

“It’s Stiles.”

“That’s not an excuse, Derek.”

“It has to be because I have no explanation why it doesn’t make me want to bar the door and keep him out.” He stiffened at that, at the very thought of keeping the human away, of staying away from him, and that had Avery sitting up. “I should, right? You’re my…” he couldn’t say it, instead inhaled so deeply as she towered above him. “Why don’t I want to keep him out? Why am I okay with this?”

“We know nothing of our connection.” Avery grinned, running a hand through his hair, something Derek closed his eyes at, just to enjoy the tactile feel of it without any other simulation. “We know what we found out in New York, and what when learned before you left to find Laura. As far as the whole technicalities of it, we never cared, as long as we were together.”

“I know, and I still don’t but I should at least feel the need to keep Stiles from you, since he…”

“Wants me?” She grinned.

“More than that.” Derek opened his eyes, looking up at the way she hovered over him, her eyes going from his down to his lips. He drew in a deep breath, saw her tongue move out, and wet her lips before she bit down gently. He reached up, let his hands run through her hair, only to grip the back of her head gently and pull her to him. “I like that he wants you.”

He sealed that statement with a gentle kiss, one that took on a life of its own, until the two of them were rutting against each other, fighting against giving into a release that might wake the young man in the other room. Derek finally pulled away, struggling to catch his breath as looked down at Avery, having flipped her under him at some point during their  _ race _ .

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, just above a whisper.

“Don’t be,” she grinned as she drew in through her nose. “I’m sure our scents alone will be enough to offend him, no need to add that to it.”

Derek laughed, “I forgot how shy they could be around the topic of sex.”

“It’s more than that,” and the smile fell. “He’s known that it’s always been you, so he’s just hasn't been exposed to me in…”

“In this way, I got it.” Derek kissed her softly one more time, turning them so that she now lay facing him on her side, pulled tightly against him. “We’ll work on the whole room situation soon.”

“Behind closed doors won’t help.”

“I’ll have ventilation installed,” Derek grinned and she buried her face against his neck as she giggled away the thought.

Derek rested his chin gently on her head, inhaling the scent of her hair, as he pulled her in closer and let his eyes slowly close, happy to once again have her in his arms.

The morning moved on, the two of them stayed wrapped up in each other until the door to the occupied room slid open and the teenage beta stepped into the muted light that shone through the wall of windows. Lucas rubbed his eyes, blinked away the grime, and focused on the couch. He didn’t feel the need to separate the two, found it strange to be comfortable in a house that wasn’t his but he knew Derek’s scent because it was part of hers, and maybe that was what made him so brazen.

He squatted down near the couch, not far from both of them, enough to study the way Derek seemed to be half-asleep, cheek to Avery’s chest, listening to her heart, but relaxed at the same time. His eyes scanned over Avery’s face, her parted lips, the shift of her eyes behind her lids, and her hand cupping the side of Derek’s head, fingers twitching with a dream.

He drew in their scent through his nose before he huffed out a quiet “I’m hungry.”

“There’s food in the fridge,” Derek mumbled, but managed not to move, not even to flutter an eyelid, like he had done this before. “Make yourself something.”

“I want waffles.” Lucas groaned, the corner of his lips turning up in a smirk. Yes, he was doing it on purpose, and not because he wanted them to split apart but for the sheer joy of watching how far he could push Derek.

The beta pointed to the phone on the coffee table, only moving his finger to indicate it’s location. “Call Stiles.”

“Why would I call Stiles? What’s he going to do?”

“Bring you waffles.”

“That’s stupid, Stiles is at work.” Lucas sat down on his ass, crossed his arms over his knees, pulling them to his chest, brows furrowed at the man on the couch. “I’m not going to bug him to bring me food when you just said there was some in the kitchen.”

Avery laughed this time, giving no indication that she had even woken in the midst of their disagreement, and finally opened her eyes just enough to see him. Derek huffed, before doing the same, and drawing in through his nose, wrinkling it as the sour scent of body odor caught him off guard.

“Tell you what,” he looked over the boy, “take a shower, scrub down, and I’ll make you waffles.”

“God,” he huffed, getting to his feet, “no wonder you two are mated, you’re exactly alike.”

And with that, Lucas stomped his way down the hall towards the bathroom. 

“He’s going to need clothes.” Avery dragged her nails down Derek’s head, getting the man to turn his face into her chest, taking in her scent as he groaned out at the feel of her fingers. 

“I have some upstairs that might fit him.” Reluctantly, Derek moved, hand shifting to adjust the natural way he woke up, which was a little harder to conceal since he had been pressed against her, and made his way towards the kitchen. 

Avery sat up on the couch, stretched and turned to see Derek eyeing her over, before he set two cups of coffee on the counter. She made her way towards him, glancing down the hallway once or twice before she stepped into Derek’s space. The beta dropped his hands to her waist and pulled her in before he sighed and leaned down placing his forehead to hers.

“I’ve missed this,” he whispered softly, eyes closed as he swayed just a little from one foot to the next.

“I’ve missed you.” Avery ran her hand up his chest, over his neck and into his hair, pulling him away just to go up on her tiptoes to bring his lips to hers, but was stopped by a noise down the hall.

Lucas’s voice rang out. “Derek, which stuff can I use?”

Derek let his head drop back, eyes up to the ceiling and he couldn’t hide the smile. “Anything you want, Luke, we’ll get you your own later.”

“Okay, but do I have to put the old stuff on or do you want me to streak across the living room?”

“It’s not like you’re anything neither of us have seen before.” Avery laughed, daring him and Derek shook his head.

“Alright, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” The kid laughed maniacally and closed the door.

“His resilience amazes me.” Avery grinned, slipping away from Derek to the other side of the island. “We’ve been through so much and he can still act like a kid surprising the hell out of me.”

“When he’s settled, will you tell me what happened?” Derek leaned on the counter, lower arms resting there as he folded his hands together. “We won’t let anything happen to either of you anymore.”

“Maybe,” she whispered, wrapping her hands around the coffee cup. Derek reached out and gently traced her fingers with the tip of his. 

“When you’re ready.” He turned and headed towards the stairway, climbing the metal stairs quickly and disappeared into the room. 

Avery looked around the loft, closed her eyes and drew in the scents that surrounded her. A flash of smoke, the sound of a gun, the sharp pain of a bullet had her eyes opened in an instant and her breathing picked up. She released the mug, let her claws grow, and buried them into the palm of her hand, allowing the prick of them to ground her.

“What the hell, Erie?” Derek whispered, surprise and concern in his voice as he cleared the bottom step and made his way to her. When she managed to open her eyes, they were the bright alpha red he had seen in Deaton’s office the night before. Derek took her wrist, pulled her to him and gently uncurled her fingers. “What did you do?”

In the palm of her hand were four bloody half-moon shaped tears in her skin, and he watched her claws retract while they healed. She shivered out a breath, let the power fade in her eyes, and relaxed at his touch.

“I’m sorry.” She sighed as he grabbed a towel and wiped off her skin, leaving only a light stain from the blood. “Memories.”

“And hurting yourself is the way to control them?” He wasn’t judging, just concerned. 

“When the only other way is to lash out at those closest to me,” she slid her hand away, cradling it in her opposite hand, “yes.”

Derek wanted to rattle off every negative fact of self-harm but that was the same moment a door opened down the hall and a chilled voice called out. “Hey, guys? Naked here!”

Avery held out her hands for the clothes that Derek offered and waited for only a second for him to hand them over, then she moved. Making her way down the hall, she found the red outline of her sight growing, and quickly stepped in without knocking.

“Whoa!” Lucas spun, grabbed a towel from the sink and covered himself. “You know, I know wolves are all… family and shit, but a little…”

Avery pressed her back against the door, dropping the clothes as she struggled to even out her breathing, eyes red once more and Lucas quickly wrapped the towel around his waist as he stepped over.

“Okay, alpha, okay,” he whispered, taking in a few deep breaths as he approached, hands up, and Avery let out a low sound, one that warned him to stay away but Lucas only came closer. “It’s me, okay. It’s me.”

He placed his hands on her neck, thumbs against her cheek, and inhaled deeply, an action that had her tilting her head just a bit with curiosity. It was as if the woman wasn’t there anymore, just the werewolf, but she followed his lead with a long, drawn breath, taking in the scent of her beta, then released it. Over and over until the red faded and Avery reached up to wrap her fingers around his wrists.

“Flashback?”

“Yes,” she rolled her eyes, pushed away from the door, and shook off his hands. She turned and grabbed the handle. Pausing, she bent down and scooped up the clothing before gently offering it to him. “Get dressed. We’ll go shopping later for your own things.”

Lucas took the pile, gingerly, like any sudden movements might startle her.

Avery sighed, closing her eyes at her mistake. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all good.”

“It’s not really. My traumas shouldn’t be yours.”

“Well, we’re family so… we deal.” Lucas watched her with worry as she made for the door again. “I saved you some water.” He stated softly, which got her to look at him, really look at the way he stood there, hand over his shoulder gripping the back of his neck.

“Lucas?” Maybe the memories of the last few weeks weren’t just fucking with her head.

“I just…” he took his hand away and shook his head. “Never mind.”

She stepped closer, looking over the frustration in his eyes. “What is it?”

“Can you…” he shrugged, looked down at the way his claw grew, before he glanced at her from under the wet strands of hair that fell in front of his eyes. “Just for a minute.”

“Of course,” she smiled, moved to sit on the toilet lid, and sighed. 

Lucas shook as he knelt down in front of her, closed his eyes and leaned his head forward, resting his face on her legs. Avery reached out, ran her hand through his hair and then gently gripped his neck. The tension in his body seemed to ease as soon as she held him there, her fingers gently massaging around the base of his skull. It was a submissive move, something akin to a mother grabbing the scruff of the neck on a pup, but for Lucas, it was soothing. The young man wrapped his arms around her calves and sighed, making her grip harder, and suddenly a sob escaped him. 

“It’s okay, pup. We’re here.” Without releasing his neck, she ran her other hand through his hair. “We’re safe. Let it out.”

And he did, falling from his knees to his ass as he cried into her hold. It was hard to remember he was still only eighteen, still a child with everything that he had been through. He needed kids his own age, needed to be surrounded by normal, even if normal had a community of werewolves and shifters involved. 

That thought… community… that was the moment she knew what she had to do with him.

~~~~~

“School?” Lucas questioned, sitting on the edge of the couch cushion looking confused as hell at Avery, then up at Derek, who paced. His eyes then traveled to Stiles, who was perched on the arm of the couch Avery was taking up, but it was Scott that had him on edge. The other alpha was too close, not far enough away in Lucas’s opinion. He also felt that Scott’s presence in the room for that conversation wasn’t really necessary, was it? “You want me to go to school? Like public school, here in Beacon Hills?”

“It might be good to get to know some of the kids your own age.” Avery shrugged. 

Lucas ran both hands down his face, rubbing his eyes with the tips of his fingers before letting them drop. His gaze went to the half-eaten slice of pizza on his plate. It was close to nine that night and the day had already been emotional and exhausting and now…

“I don’t like kids my own age, you know that.”

“You also haven’t been near werewolves your own age either.” She smiled, sat forward and mimicked his position. “They have three here.”

“Three? Jesus, how liberal are you guys with your teeth?” Lucas’s eyes went right to Derek, who gave him a roll of his eyes and a quirked smile. “Does the whole town know?”

“Just my Dad,” Stiles spoke up. This drew Lucas’s attention to him. “Parrish, who’s a hellhound. Lydia, a banshee.” He ticked off without even looking at the kid. “Oh, Melissa, Scott’s mom, and a few other adults. And Argent... used to be a hunter but he’s cool.”

Lucas stiffened at that.

“Stiles,” Derek shook his head, “Not helping.”

Stiles didn’t seem to understand why until he noticed the fright in Lucas’s eyes. “Oh, right. Sorry.”

“Liam’s a good kid,” Scott spoke up. “We also have two chimeras at school, and Mason, who’s…” Scott glanced at Stiles, who gave him a grin, “he used to be a chimera.”

“Used to be?” Lucas shook his head. “I thought chimeras were a myth.”

“Well, you haven’t met Theo yet, he’s a bit methodical himself.”

“Mythological, not methodical.” Derek rolled his eyes.

“Oh, no, I said it right the first time.” Stiles made his way towards the island in the kitchen and grabbed another slice of pizza, “And probably neurotic. Definitely diabolical.”

“Why do you even have him here?” Lucas shook his head. “The guy sounded like an ass.”

“He’s Liam’s anchor.” Scott shrugged, “and he’s getting better. We’re working on it.”

“Okay,” Avery stood and moved to sit beside Lucas on the couch. “The point of this is you won’t be alone, they’ll be pack members here, and you’ll be able to lead a normal life.” She took his hand gently, holding it between both of hers and Lucas nodded. “I’ll be close, I swear.”

“I believe you.” He drew in a breath before looking at the others in the room. “So, do I get to meet these other pack members before I jump into crowded hallways?”

Derek smiled, proudly, which only got Lucas to sit up a little straighter. Stiles grinned around the pizza he was eating and Scott dug out his phone, sending a text out.

“How about tomorrow?” The other alpha questioned, to which Lucas only gave a quick nod. “We’ll do something at my house…”

“No,” Derek spoke up, and that got Scott’s attention, but the beta’s eyes were only focused on the two on the couch. “We can do it here. In case it’s overwhelming,” Derek glanced at Scott. “They’ll have a safe place to go, on their own territory.”

“Yeah, of course.” Scott grinned. “Sounds perfect.” And with that, he put the phone to his ear and stepped out of the room. 

It was Stiles’ grin that Derek couldn’t ignore when he made his way towards the kitchen, standing on the other side of the island to grab two cans of soda. “Spit it out, Stiles.”

“Man, I love what these two are doing to you,” he shook his head as he took the can that Derek pushed across the counter to him. “You... actually inviting us all over to your place,  _ and _ throwing a party? Who are you and what have you done with the real Derek Hale?”

“Knock it off,” Derek scowled, a poor attempt to hide the smirk that had been ever present on his lips, more so when he looked at Lucas relaxing on the couch with Avery’s arm around his shoulder. “I’ve waited so long, Stiles.” His confession was so low that if he hadn’t been close he wouldn't have heard it. “I thought I lost her in New York, thought I’d never see her again, but…”

“She’s amazing.” Stiles smirked, and listened to the low growl that came from the beta. “You are smitten, aren’t you?”

“No one says  _ smitten _ anymore,” he grumbled, trying his best to be that wolf Stiles always saw him as.

“No, but you are, whether you like it or not.”

Derek turned to him suddenly, which had Stiles standing up straight, glaring into his eyes. He needed to know if Stiles even had a clue. “What about you?”

“What about me?” His tone was confused but his eyes flickered over to the pair. 

“Your scent is all over the place.”

“Yeah, so…” he sighed, backed away from Derek and turned to look at the two, elbows going up on the island counter as he cocked his head to the side. “I like her. She’s… different.”

“She’s an alpha, of course she’s different.” But Derek wasn’t looking at her, he was watching the way Stiles let his eyes roam over her, how the tip of his tongue ran over his lips. “Oh, my God,” Derek spoke softly, a small smirk on his face making Stiles believe he only just realized it as he leaned forward to whisper against the human’s ear. “You do want her.”

“What?” Stiles stepped away, beat red as his heart rate increased, twisting around to stare at him as if he were insane. “Don’t be stupid, Hale, that’s completely…”

“True.” And now knowing it was true, he really started to question why he wasn’t upset. Why did the fact that Stiles, of all people, wanting her  _ not _ make him angry? Stiles shook his head, hands on his hips, trying his best to look furious, and stared him down. But Derek had seen Stiles angry and it was terrifying, this… this was just for show. Derek raised his hand just a little off the counter as if that alone would keep Stiles from bolting, and it was exactly what the human wanted to do. Derek lowered his voice, made it as soft and gentle as he could, not letting go of his gaze. “It’s okay to… you know.”

“No,” Stiles grumbled out, adamantly shaking his head, “no, it’s not.”

“It’s just pheromones.”

“Yeah, your pheromones, her pheromones. The kid’s. It’s all over the place.” Stiles rounded the island and stepped up to him. “But… it’s not an excuse.” 

“Relax, Stiles.” Derek put a hand on his shoulder, getting the human to jump as he moved in just a little closer, the space between them all but disappearing. “You’re not going to hurt her, and she’s not going to hurt you.”

“And you shouldn’t be this calm,” Stiles slipped out of his grip, turning quickly to head to the door. Derek was right behind, which only got a look from Avery. Derek gestured at her to sit put as he slipped out the door on Stiles’ heels.

“Stiles,” Derek kept a good two feet behind him as Stiles made for the elevator. “Stiles, would you stop!”

“NO!” he yelled, whirling to face him, leaving less than a foot of space between them, catching the attention of Scott who stood on the opposite balcony. “ _ This _ is not you, Derek! It’s not. You would be ripping my head off if I told you anything like that before. How can you be so calm about this? About…” He held his palm out, and shook it towards the loft. “You’re not this person, you’re not this understanding. Not with…” He closed his eyes, placed his hands on his hips and dropped his chin to his chest., and stepped back. “You shouldn’t be this way when it’s about her. You’re bonded, and it’s weird.”

“And it’s you.” Derek whispered, which got Stiles to look up, locking amber eyes on the beta filled with disbelief. “It’s you, Stiles, and it’s been years, I’ve… I’ve had years to figure you out. Maybe that’s it, maybe we’re more connected than we think we are. Packmates do that sometimes. They pick up on each other’s signals, wolf or not.”

“You think I’m getting some sort of bond with her because of my one with you?”

“Does it seem so far out of our realm of reality that you’d put it past us?”

“I don’t put anything past this pack.” Stiles sighed, his earlier feelings of fight or flight fading. “But, seriously, Derek. She’s yours.”

“And, apparently yours.” Derek winked.

“Not funny, dude.” Stiles shook his head, unamused. “Not funny at all.”

Derek smirked, thought about it a moment and nodded. “Kinda funny.”

“Fuck off,” but that was more of a comeback than anything really aimed at the werewolf. Stiles ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I’m gonna go home and catch a few.”

“You could stay here.” 

Stiles went wide-eyed at that and shook his head. “You’re pushing it, aren’t you? Like you love to see me tortured. That’s it, isn’t it, you get off on this?” Derek glanced back at the loft door, before he bit his lip and gave him a gentle nod. “Sadist!” And Stiles turned, yanked the elevator cage open and stepped in. “I’ll text you.”

“Goodnight, Stiles.”

The Deputy rolled his eyes, gave a half-hearted wave and closed the cage, pressing the door button. Scott suddenly stepped up beside Derek.

“Where’s he going?”

“Home, I guess.”

“Dude, he’s my ride,” Scott whined and Derek rolled his eyes. 

“I’ll give you one later. Come sit with us. You should probably get to know them better before tomorrow night anyway.” 

Derek turned and made for the door without waiting for the alpha, but Scott was hot on his tail when they stepped into the loft. He stopped dead at the top of the step to the sight he came in on. The music was on low, a catchy dance tune and Avery and Lucas were dancing in the open space of the loft.

Scott closed the door as softly as possible and the two of them stood there for some time watching the pack of two smiling, relaxed, and not tense for a fight, but it was when they finally noticed the two in the doorway that both Lucas and Avery started laughing. Derek drew in the scent of contentment and the feeling of safety and home before he moved down and plunked himself on the couch if only to watch the two start dancing again. 

It was Scott’s presence that seemed to shake him out of it when the young alpha sat beside him. Derek closed his eyes, mentally counted to ten, slowly brought his gaze to Scott.

“What?” It wasn’t a bark or brash in anyway, just a simple word of encouragement to get the kid to open his mouth.

“I heard,” Scott sighed, “I heard what you and Stiles were talking about.”

“And?”

“Are you really sure this is a good thing?”

“No,” Derek immediately shook his head, keeping his voice steady, before he sighed and let his eyes roam back to the two in the middle of the room, now swaying together in a slow dance. “I think it’s far from it, especially with how volatile she is right now and how on edge Luke is, but,” he shrugged and turned to Scott. “It’s Stiles, and if there’s one person in my life that I know would never do anything to hurt them, it’s him.”

“But…” 

Derek raised his hand. “I know, and honestly, I think it’s just infatuation, but it needs to play out. You can’t tell someone how they feel, Scott. Trust me, it doesn’t work out the way you want in the end. If I would have barked at him, gotten angry, it would have just pushed him away, and closing off is not what Stiles needs, it’s not what  _ they _ need. The two of them need every pack member we have. Even if one has a small crush.”

“How did that happen anyway? He hasn’t even been around her long enough to form anything.”

“It can happen in a moment,” Derek grinned. “That’s about how long it took for us, just a moment, not even a touch.”

Scott was quiet for a moment, thinking back to the office, to how Stiles instantly seemed to react to her, to drift into her orbit. He couldn’t keep his feet from moving towards the table, or the room, couldn’t put enough space between him and Derek -- though Stiles and Derek always seemed to do that anyway -- move towards each other, hover… and Scott got it. He had watched it happen without knowing what was happening.

He didn’t tell Derek though. Instead, he nodded.

“He’s right though,” Scott smirked, “I like what the two of them do to you too.” He stood from the couch and patted Derek on the shoulder, light and good natured. “I’m gonna head home, I’ll let you know more details in the morning.”

“I thought you needed a ride?”

“I could use a run, and home’s not far from here. We’ll talk more in the morning if you want, the three of us.” His brown eyes rested on Avery, who was now doing some sort of strange jig that had Lucas laughing. “I can bring Liam by.”

“That would be a good idea actually. Maybe Mason, too?”

“What about Theo?”

He took a minute for that one, thinking about the chimera and what effects Theo might have on Lucas. “Not yet.”

“What are you afraid of? Should I be worried?”

“We all know how Theo is with Liam, it probably wouldn’t be the best idea to put two of them in the same room together.”

“Two of them?”

“Theo was basically a pack second with the Dread Doctors, right? He was a Regent for his own pack for a while before it fell apart. Lucas isn’t one to back down so that -- coupled with the fact that there’s probably no way Theo would even let him near Liam -- even with how strong your beta is…”

“World War three in your living room, got it.” Scott grinned. “Maybe we introduce Theo on Sunday instead.”

“That’s a good idea, besides, Mason will bring Corey and personally I can’t wait to see his face when Corey does his disappearing act.”

“Are we calling in all pack members?”

“Maybe the betas first. Not sure I could handle Brett at the moment, though Satomi raised him right, he might clash with Lucas as well.”

“Okay, I’ll get the kids together,” and that terminology had Derek smiling only because Scott was still a kid himself, being just a few years older than Liam and the other two. “Text you in the morning.” 

Without waiting for a reply or saying goodnight to Avery and Lucas, Scott disappeared out the door.

~~~~~

Lucas curled up on his side facing Avery on the mattress as she stared at the ceiling. He had been trying to sleep, but the nightmares had plagued his dreams and the only way to stop them was to force himself awake, he didn’t expect to see the alpha beside him.

“What are you going to do about Stiles?” he whispered, keeping his voice low.

“There’s nothing to do, and he’s not harmful.” She shrugged, glancing over at him. “Are you worried about it? His attraction?”

“I’m worried about everything lately.” Lucas reached out and slipped his hand under her shirt, resting his fingers on the raised wounds that remained of her near-death experience the night before. He flattened his hand against them, and sighed before quickly taking it away and rolled over onto his back, mimicked her position before letting out an exasperated sigh. “I can still remember everything, even the smell of the gunpowder. And I’m terrified to close my eyes.”

“So am I,” she moved her hand, reached out, and gently took his, threading their fingers together before slowly turning her head to look at his profile. “If you need me to, I’ll keep reminding you that we’re safe, that we’re surrounded by a pack now, one that wants us, and they won’t find you here.”

“How do you know?” He whispered, then turned his head quickly to look at her, worry filling his gaze. “How are you so sure they won’t, that they don’t already know?”

“I have my ways, Luke, so let that help ease your mind, at least for now. Tomorrow we’ll figure out more, we’ll see the town, we’ll meet your mates.”

“Don’t say it like that,” he hmmphed, and looked away, “don’t call them mates. No one is as lucky to find theirs as you and Derek.”

“That’s not the kind I meant, but you will find yours, Lucas,” she rolled onto her side and pressed her lips against his shoulder, taking in the scent of the fabric softener that Derek used to dry them with. “Have faith.”

“I do,” he let his head fall towards hers and pressed his lips to her forehead. “My mind just can’t wrap around the whole thing of maybe we got away.”

“I need you to know my plan,” Avery backed away, getting him to look her in the eyes. “I’m going to tell Derek everything.”

“Av, wait, maybe…” Lucas shook at the thought. “Maybe it’s not a good idea.”

“If we want to stay protected, he needs to know it all, every detail.” 

“Can’t it wait?”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, you did nothing wrong, nothing to be ashamed of, and neither have I. Derek will understand.”

“You’re so sure.” It was soft and full of disbelief. 

Avery drew him in, turning him so that he could lay his head on her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him. “There’s nothing to fear.”

Lucas found his eyes slowly closing, giving into the closeness, the warmth of her, and the security of her touch, even knowing that she might not be there when he opened them again. His heart rate slowed and sleep dragged him down into a blessed, dreamless darkness.

~~~~~

Avery slid the door closed, but the onslaught of horrific memories had her pause and place her forehead against the metal, giving herself a moment to collect the way her body shook at moving away from her beta. After a few times of counting backwards from fifty, only to start again when she got lost in a memory, she turned to see Derek tugging a fitted sheet over a queen-sized mattress. It was placed up on the small landing where his desk had once been, situated under the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked over the town. 

“What are you doing?” She couldn’t help the grin as she made her way over. Derek grabbed the pillows, tossing them further up the bed, before he took the comforter and draped it over the sheet.

“The couch -- while amazing for a morning nap -- isn’t the place I want to spend holding you for another night.” He stood and made his way over, slipping away to grab something from the table, before stepping up to hold out a hand. “Come on, we both need to relax a bit.”

“Derek Hale, where exactly do you think you’re taking me?” and while she was smiling, she was still a little nervous about his answer.

Derek leaned in, placed his lips right next to her ear and breathed out slowly as he smiled. “I have a tub big enough for the two of us and it’s calling our names.”

“Really?” Avery couldn’t hold back the laugh as he took her hand and tugged her down the hall towards the bathroom. She didn’t remember seeing the tub, only the standing shower, but when they should have hooked a left to go into the room, Derek took a right, bringing her in through the door she had previously overlooked.

There in the middle of a tiled room was a beautiful, white clawfoot bathtub, definitely big enough to fit two people, which was amazing to think of because of Derek’s height. It was filled with steaming water, rose petals and Avery could smell the lavender in the air. He set the folded stack of clothes he had picked up from the table, on a small bench far enough away that it wouldn’t get wet, and turned to her.

Avery’s eyes were taking in the room, completely entranced by the carved molding that graced the ceilings and the sconces that lit up the dark walls, so entranced in fact that she didn’t notice Derek step up until his hands were at her waist, drawing the shirt up as his fingers danced across her skin.

Her eyes locked on his, lips parted as she drew in his scent, tasting him on her tongue with how strong it was, and her hands gripped his lower arms, holding on as he moved up, fingers running along her ribs and back as his thumbs glided up over her stomach, until he stopped just below her breasts.

“You don’t have to do this,” he whispered so softly that it made her breath hitch. 

“No,” she swallowed, letting her own hands start to wander up over the muscles of his arms. “I want to, Derek. So much.”

Derek gently pulled the shirt over her head, letting it drop to the floor as he clenched his jaw, and his fists, trying to stem off the need to touch her before he relaxed his shaky hands enough to rest on the waist of her sweats. With a soft touch, he pushed them down, thumb hooked in the band, until they slipped over her bottom and fell to the floor. 

Derek closed his eyes, let his lips part, and he took a simple step back. Her scent was overwhelming, full of emotions, and now completely exposed to him. There was no hiding it behind the fabric softener and cotton, and he gave out a low groan.

“We can stop,” she whispered, which only got him to shake his head, even as he clenched and unclenched his fists. Avery stepped forward, grabbing the end of his tank, and Derek let her slip it from his body, without resistance, but he stopped her when she went for the tented sweats he wore. “Derek.”

His eyes were wide, bright blue, and locked on hers as he took her wrists gently in his grasp. “You’re beautiful, Avery, so beautiful,” he swallowed, and looked down at the way he stood out, hard and jutting towards her. “Please don’t think I want anything right now. It’s just being so close to you…”

“You’re worried about sex?” She smiled, twisting her hands from his hold to grab the waist of those cotton pants again. “Derek, you’d never force me into anything, I know that, and you haven’t looked in the mirror lately, have you? You’re gorgeous.” She leaned in, planted a kiss on his sternum and yanked the sweats down over his ass, pooling them at his ankles as he stepped out of them. “We have all the time in the world for sex, Derek, all the time in the world.”

He scooped her up, getting a surprised squeak from her lips and let his eyes land on hers as he gently placed her in the tub, moving in behind her before he pulled her back to rest against his chest, wrapping his arms around her as he leaned forward, kissing her neck and down to her shoulder.

They bathed in comfortable silence for what felt like a lifetime, emptying and reheating the water several times before Avery sat forward, disturbing the tranquility.

“What’s wrong?” Derek’s voice seemed to boom in the room, but the way his fingers traced down her spine eased the tension in her body.

She didn’t turn around, just played with the petals that still floated in the tub. “I need to tell you what happened, before… before Lucas goes into school.”

“You can tell me anything,” he whispered softly, but reached out letting his fingers catch on her shoulder, and he tugged her to him, watching as she turned slowly to face him. “Evie, tell me what’s going on.”

“He’s afraid that you’ll hate him, that you’ll reject him.”

“I could never reject him, he’s your beta.” Derek captured her hands, and pulled her close as he sat up, bringing her within inches of his body. “Tell me.”

“He’s not,” she shook her head, sighing in frustration, “he’s not mine, his alpha was some rabid animal that bit him one night while he was riding home from school. He was fourteen, knocked off his bike and bitten, and then taken and left in a cell to die or turn.”

“He may not be your blood, but he’s loyal to you, that makes him yours in every way that means anything.” Derek cupped his hand on her cheek, letting his thumb caress her skin. “Lucas is safe here. Wait, did you say a cell?”

“He’s never been safe, Derek, that’s why we’ve been on the move. I lost my pack to keep him safe, the one I found after you left to find Laura. They died to protect him because of what he is.” 

Derek sat back, a little confused, “what is he?”

“Powerful,” she sighed, sitting straight before she climbed from the tub and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around herself. “I don’t think he was bitten on accident, I think it was strategic. His family, his biological one, they’re not like most humans.”

“Avery, you’re not making…”

“They’re witches. His family, they’re witches.” 

Derek blinked as if things were just finally settling in, clicking into place. “He’s a hybrid?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” 

“There’s never been a witch who’s survived…”

“I know, which is why he’s important. He hasn’t manifested anything in the form of magic, not spells or mental abilities, but he can…” She licked her lips as she paced, allowing Derek the time to get out of the tub and dry off as quickly as possible before pulling on a clean pair of sweats. “When he gets angry, the room literally moves, it shakes, and he can’t control his strength.”

“Wolves are strong, Evie, you know that.” Derek slowly approached, not wanting to set her off but she stopped, crossed her arms and shook her head.

“Wolves can’t send a man through a concrete wall, Derek. Their fists can’t bend a steel beam in half.” She raised her hands, as the sudden scent of fear filled the room. “He’s not dangerous, please don’t think that.”

“Not for a second,” Derek whispered, uncertain why she would even think that, but it clicked as he reached forward and grabbed her gently by the arms. “It’s not him that I was afraid of. It was the fact that… I told you I won’t reject your beta, and I swear it, he’s mine now, too. I’m only afraid of losing you.”

“But you haven’t heard all of it.”

“I don’t need to, he’s yours and you’re mine, that’s all that matters to me.” Derek gave a small smile, one of reassurance as he placed both hands on her cheek and kissed her softly, “I’m here, I’ll help protect him... with my life if I have to.”

She inhaled against him, let her arms move to wrap around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest, feeling safe for the first time. “I’ve done things, things I’m not proud of to keep him safe, Derek. I’ve killed people.”

“For your beta, for your pack,” he kissed her gently on the top of the head, “I would do the same for Isaac, for Stiles.”

“I know.” 

They stood there, comfortable in each other’s arms, wrapped in one another’s hold until Avery shivered against him. Derek smiled, stepped back and helped her dress this time. With no words spoken, he led her to the bed he made, laid her down between the sheets and pulled her into his arms once more before both of them gave into sleep.


End file.
